Capacitive touch sensors are used as a user interface to electronic equipment, e.g., calculators, telephones, cash registers, gasoline pumps, etc. The capacitive touch sensors are activated (controls a signal indicating activation) by a change in capacitance of the capacitive touch sensor when an object, e.g., user finger tip, causes the capacitance thereof to change. Referring to FIG. 1, depicted is a prior technology capacitive touch sensor generally represented by the numeral 100. The prior technology capacitive touch sensor 100 comprises a substrate 102, a sensor element 112 and a protective covering 108, e.g., glass. When a user finger tip 110 comes in close proximity to the sensor element 112, the capacitance value of the sensor element 112 changes. This capacitance change is electronically processed (not shown) so as to generate a signal indicating activation of the capacitive touch sensor 100 by the user (only finger tip 110 thereof shown). The protective covering 108 may be used to protect the sensor element 112 and for marking of the sensor 100.
Problems exist with proper operation of the sensors 100 that may be caused by water, oil, mud, and/or food products, e.g., ketchup and mustard, either false triggering activation or inhibiting a desired activation thereof. Also problems exist when metallic objects (not shown) come in near proximity of the sensor element 112 and cause an undesired activation thereof. When there are a plurality of sensors 100 arranged in close proximity to each other, e.g., circumference and/or top of a knob arrangement, activation of the intended ones of the sensors 100 may cause unintended ones of neighbor sensor(s) 100 to undesirably actuate because of the close proximity of the user finger tip 110, or other portion of the user hand (not shown). This activation of unintended ones of the neighbor sensor(s) 100 may be caused when touching the intended ones of the sensors 100 and a portion of the user's hand also is sufficiently close to the unintended ones of the sensor(s) 100 for activation thereof.